The Spring Lake Lakers and Coopersville Broncos each took tough losses in Week 6, falling to Unity Christian and West Catholic respectively. At 5-1, each team looked to bounce back with victories. It was a close battle throughout, but in the end, Spring Lake secured a 27-20 win.
Midway through the opening frame, Dylan Merlo got Coopersville started. The Broncos’ tailback powered across the goal line from three yards out, his ninth touchdown of the year. A successful extra point gave them a seven-point advantage. Spring Lake would respond with a 33-yard sprint to the end zone by Alex Lee, evening the score at seven. This stalemate would continue into halftime, as neither team scored for the final sixteen minutes of the opening half.
As the third quarter reached its halfway point, Spring Lake snagged control of the year. Lee found the end zone again, reeling off a 40-yard sprint through the oncoming Coopersville traffic. The Lakers secured a late interception in the frame to preserve a 14-7 advantage.
Alex Lee’s third touchdown, a 4-yard plunge, gave Spring Lake a 21-7 lead. With eight minutes to go, Coopersville responded. Nate Merlo hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Colton Bosch, trimming the deficit to seven points.
With seventy-five seconds to go, Alex Lee padded Spring Lake’s lead with his fourth rushing touchdown of the evening, a 4-yard carry. Coopersville would get a touchdown on the final play of regulation, a pass from Bosch to Merlo, but it would not be enough.
Spring Lake, 6-1 on the season, have secured their largest single-season win total since 2014. They will look to best that mark next week against West Catholic. Coopersville, 5-2, will complete their three-game gauntlet against Unity Christian next week.
